FAQ

The Campus Card is the official Carleton student card, and is your personal identification while on campus. However, its features extend far beyond a simple ID – it’s your library card, gym card, campus debit card, and door access card, all in one! If you want to know all the locations where it can be used, go to our Valid Use Locations page.

All students (part time, full time and special) are eligible for a Campus Card. All faculty and staff that are paid directly by the university are eligible for a Campus Card.

You must have the following:

• student number
• Government Photo Identification (e.g. driver’s license, passport, age of eligibility card, gov’t work ID or health card w/ picture) and,
• be registered in the current or upcoming school term

Your first card is free, and you get a free replacement after having a card for 4 years; all cards in between cost $19.00 (taxes inc.). If you meet these requirements, you may have your card made!

Please allow one week for processing during September and January before coming to obtain your card. During the rest of the year, please allow 3 days.

All new cards take approximately 5 minutes to be processed by our computer system; after that, your card will be fully activated.

To activate your debit account, all you have to do is deposit money and within 5 minutes your account will be ready to go!

If you lose your Campus Card over the weekend, you have to make arrangements with the staff at the Fresh Food Company to allow you to eat.

Students moving into residence are required to swipe their Campus Card AND enter a 4-digit PIN number in order to gain access to a number of residences. Click here to learn more about this new security feature, including how to set your PIN # (which is done through Carleton Central)

Returning students with expired cards can get a replacement card with an extended expiry date at no charge from the Campus Card office. Please bring the expired card with you when you come for the replacement.

Your Campus Card is durable, and built to last the entire time you’re a student here at Carleton. Still, a little prevention can significantly reduce the probability of requiring a new card (which costs $19.00 with taxes):

• Do not tamper with the picture or information on the card.
• Keep your Campus Card away from magnets and computers.
• Do not punch holes in your Campus Card.
• Keep the card away from excessive heat.
• Do not scratch the card – if the writing is illegible, the card will not be accepted.
• Do not put the card through the washing machine.
• Do not use the card as a windshield scraper
• Above all, do not lose your card, as the encoded information is yours alone.

Go to the Lost/Stolen Cards page to find out the proper course of action.

There are 2 ways to check your balance:

1. You can ask any manned location that accepts the Campus Card to tell you your balance
2. Check your balance from our website! Go to our Card Balance/Activity page for more information.

If you’re having problems when trying to use your card, you should contact the Campus Card Office during regular office hours, so they can help determine what’s wrong and find a solution.

Not if you deactivate your Campus Card quickly enough before some unscrupulous person finds it. Deactivating your card protects your money on the card and prevents it from being used at the Athletics facilities and Library. Once it’s deactivated, get a new card from the Campus Card office and the money will be transferred to your new card .

This is a tough question to answer, but here are some guidelines:

Photocopying/Printing: $20 – $50 per year Laundry: $42 per year (assuming 1 load per week) Textbooks: anywhere from $300 to $1000 depending on your program Food: $300 to 600 (assuming eating one to two meals per week @ $10 each) Supplies: varies by department, but Architecture, Biology and Engineering students can purchase supplies like wood, lab coats and metal with their Campus Card.

No, any money you receive with your residence meal plan will automatically be put on your card. However, keep in mind that this money can only be spent to purchase food.

Any money that comes with your meal plan is called Dining Dollars, and can only be used to purchase food. If you wish to do laundry, printing, photocopying, or use any non-food related service, you must add Convenience Dollars to your Card. For more information on the differences between accounts, please view our Account Plans page.

Money that comes with residence meal plans is divided by term. This means that half the money is added in September, and the rest is deposited in January. Please note that the amounts deposited are not equal, as they are pro-rated by the number of days in each term. Thus, if the fall term is longer, you will receive more money for this term.

Yes, multiple plans are allowed on a single card, thus allowing you to have a meal plan, Dining Dollars and Convenience Dollars at the same time. However, you cannot have more than one meal plan on your card at a time (e.g. an on-campus meal plan and an off-campus meal plan).

Yes. Starting in September 2003, validation stickers will no longer be given out. All students currently with an old Campus Card must switch to a new one. This service will be provided at no charge for those who return their old card to our office.

Sorry dude, see the Philosophy Department about that one.